This invention relates to heaters and more especially, but not exclusively, to heaters of the type traditionally known as braziers and used mainly out of doors for heating and cooking purposes.
In a traditional brazier, charcoal or other solid fuel is burnt in an open topped, cylindrical metal basket or drum and heat is dispersed by radiation and convection from the burning fuel. Characteristics of braziers include a large heat dispersement surface and an appealing visual effect.
Disadvantages include the unwelcome smoke and fumes created as the brazier burns and the time taken to light the brazier and to extinguish it after use.
Gas cooking devices for use outdoors which include a gas burner which heats an internally mounted cooking container are known. Such a device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,623. Also, an oil burning heater including a chamber bounded by a heat emitting wall with a grate which divides the chamber into an upper zone and a lower combustion space is known from Great Britain Pat. No. 527,388. Neither of these documents discloses the important features of this invention.
The present invention sets out to provide a heater which retains the advantageous characteristics of a brazier but which does not suffer from or at least alleviates the disadvantages referred to above.